Saturday, February 28, 2015

Front Porch Candle Co.'s HoneysuckleCold Rating: 6/10Lit Rating: 6.5/10Throw Rating: 6.5/10Overall Rating: 6.5/10; one of my favorite floral scents. Not as strong as I wanted or expected this to be. Sort of an older tart, but I expected this would have been the same any other time. Lasted 4 hours in the bathroom with the window opened. Well meaning. Making the back of the house smell nice, only needing strength. Pronouncing "s-t-r-e-n-g-t-h" as "s-t-r-e-n-t-h," THERE IS A G, PEOPLE. Delicate, sweet-like floral. I know how honey smells, but what does a suckle smell like? Unnecessary and unintended dirtiness. Wanting to have honeysuckle flowers in my house/backyard, needing succulents since everything we ever try to grow dies.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

I love music. I breathe music. I think I have said it before on this here blog that I am just as obsessed with music as I am with wax. My phone is full of wonderful, empowering and thought-provoking songs, but it is also full of the cheesiest, silliest, catchiest tunes you'll ever hear, ones that'd I'd rather you didn't know about.

That's why I am laying it all on the line with this TAG post! Open up your phone or iPod or whatever device you have with music on it, put the playlist on shuffle and, for every question, write whatever song pops up as your answer for the question! Fun, right?!

I tag: Julie from The Redolent Mermaid, Deb from It's Always Something and Sunnee from Fragrance Obsessed to do this (AKA: the other members of the Order of the Odor). Get on it, ladies! *PS: If you don't have a lot of music on your devices, you can use your Spotify/Pandora playlists! :)
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How am I feeling today?
"I Don't Feel Like Dancing" - Scissor Sisters (LOL! I was on the fence about doing this tag until I opened my phone and put on the first shuffled song...it was meant to be!)

Will I get far in life?
"Run" - Matthew Nathanson (another one that sorta fits, LOL)

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

A little while ago, OrangeGlad put out a message on their Instagram saying they were looking for bloggers who wanted to write about their Sweet Box subscription box. I jumped at the chance and after a quick email exchange with Matt from OrangeGlad, a few weeks later, this box of goodies showed up at my doorstep!

*Now, I did receive this box for free, but as you know, I will be 100% honest and all of the photos, thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. So, please enjoy my thoughts on this subscription box!

This is the box that housed my goodies! I like the orange theme in the font and photos on the outside of the box, which I'm assuming is standard. The donut graphic is also super cute!

Upon opening the box, this is what greeted me! I really enjoy when subscription boxes take extra precautions with shredded tissue paper to ensure (or at least attempt to make sure) things don't get broken or smashed.

As with most subscription boxes now, there are cards right on top detailing each item in the box. I always save this for when I pull the items out of the box one by one and read them to Josh so we know what's what! I really, really like how OrangeGlad puts a "best buy" date of sorts at the end of each description letting the consumer know when the product will be at its best. Of course, it didn't matter to me because we ate everything in one sitting. #DontJudgeUs

The flip side of the card! Very cute Valentine's day appeal with messages on how to save 15% and earn free boxes by using Instagram!

I am a sucker for presentation, and well, this box/its wrapping is one of the cutest subscription boxes I have seen, honestly! Look at the cute bow! I don't know if this comes on every month's box, but it should because this little touch sent the packaging over the edge for me, So sweet!

The writing on the box. Again, really simple yet really informative and pretty!

Open the box and what do you see? Goodies! WOOHOO! This was obviously a Valentine's day box, even judging by the colors of the treats and the graphic on the card above! Let's take a look inside, shall we?

First, we have the Sugar Bowl Bakery Petite Palmiers. We have had palmiers many times and we like them just fine, but never think to buy them ourselves. They are sort of a more crispy, cookie-fied version of a croissant. This particular palmier didn't have as much "bite" as a like, but it was still quite tasty. I would have liked for there to be something else to this, maybe some more sugar crystals on top to make it interesting? Our rating: 3.5/5.

Next up, this intriguing box of cookies by Salem Baking: Moravian, a brand I am not familiar with at all. Anything chocolate dipped is good in my book. Just glance at the link above and browse their website...oh man, cookie heaven, amirite?

There were quite a few cookies in the silver package in the box! This was my favorite item from this month's subscription box. Though not stated on the ingredient label, these cookies had a nuttiness to them that took them over the edge. Love the color, love the crispy crunch of the cookie, and the chocolate...oooohhh, the chocolate. So delicious!! Our rating: 5/5.

Thirdly, we have this intriguing box of something! Another point to OrangeGlad for both presentation and packaging. Adorable!

Inside the box were two truffles from Annalisa Chocolates, another place I had never heard of, but one that look really interesting based on its website. That's the cool thing about subscription boxes, you get to learn about all sorts of different delicacies from all around the country and sometimes even the world!

On the left, we have the caramel sea salt truffle (*drooool*) and on the right, a raspberry truffle. Romantic! These are both all natural!

Here's a look at the cross-section of the salted caramel truffle. Nice, gooey inside topped with yummy salt crystals. Salty and sweet is a quintessential combination for desserts! Anything with salted caramel and we are there in a heartbeat. This truffle was pretty good! The "goo" inside was nice and velvety and the chocolate and salty outside combined really nicely with the texture of the inside. Our rating: 4/5.

Here's the cross-section of the raspberry truffle. While I am typically a fan of the raspberry/chocolate combo, for some reason, this truffle didn't do it for us. The raspberry was far too floral for our liking and the middle "goo" was an odd texture. What a bummer. The chocolate was still good, but the raspberry sort of ruined it. Our rating: 3/5.

The front and back of the cookie. Don't let looks deceive you, this cookie was much crunchier and more crumblier than we expected. By the looks of it, it's a soft, delicate cookie with ooey, gooey buttercream, but the red dye in the frosting ruined it for me. Red and black dye/food coloring often has a weird, bitter taste to it and this was no exception. The cookie was hard, the frosting was hard, the sprinkles did not fit. Maybe it just didn't transport well, but this was not very good. The one thing it had going for it was the flavor of the cookie, which was nice and buttery underneath all the crumbles. Our rating: 2/5.

MINT! Mint anything is the way to my heart!

The coolest thing about this fudge, made by OrangeGlad themselves, is that it came in an adorable little mason jar that we get to keep! YAY!

Unfortunately, this fudge, which is a mix of chocolate, mint and Oreo's, was not the best thing, either. The Oreo's gave this a strange taste and texture, somewhat grainy or gritty. While the fudginess and mint flavoring were just right, they should have stopped there. Our rating: 2.5/5.
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Thanks to OrangeGlad for sending me this box for free, and as I mentioned above, all opinions, comments and photos are my own. The links provided are not affiliate links, but simply links to outside vendor websites!

While we didn't love everything in this box, I might even sign up for this box for next month so I can see what other treats they have up their sleeves! Have you heard of OrangeGlad? Does anything in this box sound interesting or tasty to you? Let me know!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Even though it has been 80+ degrees IN FEBRUARY for the last week or so, I have been longing for winter scents still. So, what better way to get over a scent craving than with something delicious like an apple scent?

Beezy Tarts Apple CinnamonCold Rating: 8/10Lit Rating: 8/10Throw Rating: 7.5/10Overall Rating: 8/10; sweet apple with spicy cinnamon. Smells wonderful while melting and on cold sniff. Medium-high throw. Love the cute little picture on the label. Obsessed with cinnamon and apples scents, even when it's hot outside. Not bragging about warm weather when people are stuck in snow farms. Sweet versus fresh, cleaning apples. Perfect cinnamon. Vendors not opened all the time. Unannounced openings. NEEDING MORE OF A VENDORS TARTS AND YET THEY ARE NOT OPENED. Stressing the same thing multiple times.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Heyo, heyo! Today, I have a haul to share! I KNOW, it has been a long time since I have done a haul post. I want to share with you a muffin club I was in with some of my waxy pals. We decided on 4 blends a piece, each collectively agreed upon by all of us, and I had them shipped to me and then sent them out to the rest of the lovely ladies! This is a great system, especially to try out new or crazy blends. Let's get started! **PS: OP = overpour scent, the other two are chunk scents!
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*Blend #1: Cranberry Orange/Marshmallow Smoothie/Cranberry Marmalade (OP) (S): LOVE!! We are becoming master blenders because this is amazeballs. It's got so much sweetness, so much depth, so much yum. So good. Their marshmallow smoothie doesn't hinder anything in a blend, it only serves to enhance it. A favorite!

*Blend #2: Ooey Gooey Caramel/Toffee Apple Crunch/Dunk My Donut (OP) (S): Toffee Apple Crunch is a chunk scent, but it's all I smell when first smelling it! Well, that and a rich, luscious caramel scent. The Dunk My Donut is there, but the chunk scents are much stronger to me on cold sniff.

*Blend #3: Pecan Waffles/Cotton Candy Frosting/Blueberry Cobbler (OP) (S): this scent smells like a county fair! Rosegirls has one of two blueberry scents I enjoy (the other being Streetman Candles), so I was all for this when Sunnee suggested the blend. The pecan waffles, blueberry cobbler and cotton candy frosting, though lighter, combine to make a luscious, almost cereal-ish fragrance. Wow!

*Blend #4: Strawberry Jam/Sicilian Lemon Cookies/Royal Sugar Cookies (OP) (S): cookie heaven, bakery lovers need to try this blend! The lemon cookies are comparable to those little powdered sugar dusted Girl Scout cookies I don't know the name of but smell and taste like little bursts of sunshine mixed with the buttery royal sugar cookie. The strawberry jam is hanging back, chillin', waving "hey guys!" to the top notes, peeking around the corner.

*Blend #5: Lavender/Vanilla Bean Noel/Birthday Cake (OP) (J): Such an interesting scent! I love it when lavender gets mixed with bakery (unless there's zucchini, lol). Though the lavender is a chunk scent, it is still quite strong. The birthday cake and vanilla bean noel mesh together to create an intoxicating and fluffy bakery scent. Mmmmm!

*Blend #6: Monster Cooker/Southern Creme Brulee/Pumpkin Chai (OP) (J): OOOOOOOOOOMG! There is a little bit of pumpkin chai here, but most of what I am smelling is a buttery cookie scent mixed with that rich southern creme brulee! This is one I think my grandma will like, so I am going to split it with her! This will make the whole house smell good, I guarantee it!

*Blend #7: Peppermint/Christmas Past (OP) (J): This is what Christmas smells like in my mind when I think about that word. A strong minty freshness segues into a a hefty dose of that unmistakable pine tree fragrance and perhaps a small touch of sweetness from the peppermint. It sort of reminds me of Vick's! One of my favorites from the order!!

*Blend #8: Pink Sugar/Margarita/Watermelon Slush (OP) (J): ...and this is what summer smells like in my mind! AGH, so good! The watermelon is dominant here with lime from the margarita and fragrant pink sugar rounding out the background notes. Mmmmm, this might have to be melted tomorrow. ;)

*Blend #9: Peppermint/Royal Sugar Cookie (OP) (D): I don't know/remember the differences between Rosegirls' cookie scents, but royal sugar cookie really is a lot sweeter to my nose. The peppermint here tones it down and makes it really interesting! Can't wait to melt this one.

*Blend #10: Sweet Pumpkin Pie/ Vanilla Bean Noel/Vanilla Wafers (OP) (D): Another favorite of mine from our club. YUM! I am not typically a bakery gal, but this has just enough VBN and a touch of something else to satiate my need for more in a bakery scent. So good! If you think you don't like bakery, try vanilla wafers from Rosegirls, and I promise you, it might change your mind.

*Blend #11: Peppermint/Lemonade/Sugared Apple (OP) (D): Remember when I said muffin club allows you to explore your blending capabilities to try things wacky or new? Well, this is as new and as weird as it gets, but in a good way! Lol! I LOVED the idea of this blend, suggested by Deb, and it is another favorite of mine. It's so unique and so wonderful smelling. The sugary apple lends nicely to the sweet lemonade, all rounded out with a distinct peppermint. I can't wait for Deb to get her package and smell this to see what she thinks!!

*Blend #12: Christmas Past/Cranberry Orange (OP) (D): I get a lot of the orange from this with a sweeter smelling cranberry and a little bit of pine, though the pine is much more muted since it is a chunk scent. Quite nice! I think this reminds me of some sort of jam I have tried (weirdly enough??), but I can't remember that, either, lol. Where has my mind gone?

*Blend #13: Sweet Lemon Confection/Orange Revival/Sage (OP) (L): Rosegirls' sweet lemon confection scent is STRONG, ya'll, way strong. I get a little orange, but mostly lemon, and the sage? Goodness! I was trying to recreate something like Yankee Candle's sage & citrus blend, and though it's not quite the same, it's still really good!

*Blend #14: Cherry Berry Punch/Lemonade (OP) (L): this blend is the same as the ones sold in chunks, and since I wanted to try it but didn't want a full bag of it, I asked the gals if this blend was okay. Unfortunately, I hate it. I don't know how the others will feel about this, but it smells pukey to me, and not because of the scent, but because of my scent taste. Cherry Berry Punch was not a good idea for me, lol. Sorry again, gals!

*Blend #15: Vanilla Bean Noel/Strawberry Raspberry Guava/Marilyn (OP) (L): the sweetness from the vanilla bean tones down the fruitiness from the strawberry raspberry guava and Marilyn, but this is basically a fruit explosion and I LOVE IT. The strawberry is the strongest part of the SRG scent. We picked some really good blends, ladies!

*Blend #16: Marshmallow Smoothie/Celtic Moonspice/Apple Puff Pastry (O) (L): mmmmm, this one smells SO good. Nice and mellow on the celtic, but the spice is still there, lingering sexily in the backgroun. Apple-y, marshmallow-y, gooey and delightful, I'll keep this for fall, or??? ;) Lovely!
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There you have it! I can't wait to do another round of muffin club at some point! Do any of these scents sound like ones you'd want to try? Do you like Rosegirls? What are the best blends you've ever created?

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Hi, all! Before I jump into this post, I must say something that has been gnawing at me for some time now. I don't usually like to share gift posts because I don't want anyone to feel like they come off as braggy. This is something that a very scant amount of people in the wax community have put into my head based on Facebook conversations from the past in wax groups over the years, conversations with friends, and, well, in my own mind. This post is about a gift I received for Christmas, so if you don't want to hear about it, please scroll on by this post. This gift is too wonderful not to post about and I want to share it with you today, even though it has nothing to do with wax.

This post is a long, overdue one. My friend Julie from The Redolent Mermaid offered to make me a lap quilt for Christmas. Initially, I felt bad saying yes and asking her to undertake something that to me, someone who has no crafting senses and/or talent in crafts, looked so difficult to make! She insisted, so I agreed, and she asked me what I liked. I told her rainbows, which is vague but they are my favorite, LOL. This is what she made me.

I cannot express how grateful I am that she gifted this to me and used not only her time, but her tremendous, incredible crafting abilities and her hard earned money on fabrics for this gift. I am still in awe every single time I use it. Thank you again, Julie, from the bottom of my heart. I am so very privileged to know you, with or without wax. :)

Here is one side of it. I love the fabric she picked for this side, as well as the cool red and white stitching on the border! It is so cheerful and fun looking.

...And here is the other side! GAH! Look at how gorgeous it is! When I opened the package, I seriously cried because of how beautiful it is. This is such a thoughtful present and I absolutely love using it. More on this later. Now, for some close-ups!

Julie had mentioned to me that she found fabric with little dogs that looked like Schnauzers! This is my favorite "section" of the quilt. It totally looks like my dog, Freddo! I love the tiny little pups and how they fit into each color coordinated piece of the quilt.

These precious flowers are another favorite of mine, as are the cherries. They are so cute and happy looking.

This piece sort of reminds me of Mr. Bill, lol! I know that's not what it is, but it's cute, nonetheless. Love the beigeish fabric color and the blue together.

Here's another flowery piece that called to me, though I couldn't tell you why. I think, again, it's the mix of the bright red and leafy green colors against a blue "background" color. Next to it are a bunch of dots and then some more dots and squares. Love this part!!

Josh's favorite part of the quilt was the nautical rope because he says "the look sort of like the UFC octagon but with less sides." Men, LOL! I like this part, too, because I love anything blue. The dotty leaves next to it are also really nice!

More cherries and daisy type flowers on a yellow colored fabric. I love yellow, and if you look a little bit above...

...You'll see more pups! YAY! :)

SHROOMS! I love this part and so does Josh. I love how the colors flow in and out of one another onto the next section.

Needless to say, this quilt has seen a lot of action. I am almost afraid of overusing it, so I ration my time to a couple of days a week. HEY! I don't want it to get destroyed or worn out too quickly!

When my friend Craig was in town, I used it every darn night when he'd come over to watch movies with us. Here it is during "Terminator."

Though I don't encourage it all the time, Freddo really liked the quilt, too! He hasn't tried to run off with it, which is a good thing since he likes blankets and frillies, but I also keep it out of reach. :)

Julie, again, thank you so much for thinking of me and for offering to make me something so creative and cool. I will cherish it forever!! <3 <3 <3